Angel's Path
by dryingtears
Summary: What path was a distraught angel to take? She was certain all he had told her were lies, but was it right to follow the devil into hell? But one thing was certain she had loved him and he had broken her heart. [ItaSakuSasu]
1. Prologue: A Twist in Fate

**Angel's Path**

_Written by dryingtears_

**Prologue – A Twist in Fate**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto

* * *

She sat alone, broken in a field of blooming flowers and happiness, her body shaded from the gentle sunlight by the tree for which she was named. Her tears crawled down from her emerald eyes, her sobs carried by the wind. Petals danced and twirled around her broken frame, her small hands slowly wiping away new tears.

"_Are you okay?"_

She gasped at the voice speaking to her, and she quickly began to shuffle around, making her appearance bearable. She felt a hand slightly larger than hers place itself on her shoulder, and her eyes widened, heat rushing to her face.

"_We're not in the house, it doesn't matter."_

Her pink hair covered her eyes as her head bowed in respect, and she was surprised when he took a seat beside her, his hand moving from its place on her shoulder back to his side. She knew he was not one to talk or to open up, and it scared her that he was providing her with rare support.

"_Why didn't you tell me?" _

She began to cough from holding her breath too long, and her emerald eyes turned and met with his obsidian orbs. Tears began to fall from her eyes again, and her sobs began to grow louder and louder. He looked at her sympathetically, and his small thumb began to slowly wipe away her tears.

"_Kaa-san will kill you, you know. And it's not only her. Everyone will, Saku-chan." _

Sakura nodded slightly, and began to calm herself down again. He gave her a small smile, and she slowly returned it.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I should have told you," She whispered.

His smile grew wider, and he shyly held her hand in his.

"_It's fine, Saku-chan. You can tell me whatever you want. Besides..." _

Her eyebrow rose with interest as he paused to think about how to state his words, and she fought her urge to giggle at the red tint appearing on his face.

"_...I promise to protect you, okay?" _

Her eyes widened, and her world had grown brighter. He gently smiled at her and gave her hand a small squeeze, and she tackled him to the ground, embracing him tight, never wanting to let him go.

"_You're my personal angel, Saku-chan..." He gently whispered in her ears._

Nothing in the world could explain how happy she was at that moment in her childhood's prime.

"_So keep smiling for me, and promise to never cry..." _

She smiled and snuggled into his chest, nodding into the soft fabric of his shirt.

"I promise."**  
**

* * *

"No, I'm not!" 

She stood firmly on the wooden floor, her delicate hands clenched in tight fists. She had grown taller and more beautiful over the years, her girlish features growing into that of a young woman's. Her emerald eyes glimmered under the bright sunlight penetrating through the windows, the strength of her youth intimidating her elders.

"Sakura-chan, you _must_! It's a duty for Uchiha-sama! You _must!" _

Her eyes glared at the snickering maids eavesdropping whilst they were "cleaning", and her eyes returned to the two people standing in front of her. After her parents had disappeared, they had become her 'foster' parents, as Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto were too busy as it was running a whole clan.

"I am _not _going to marry! No! I refuse! Especially that of a man from the Hyuuga! Chances are he have disrespected me at least _once _over the years. I refuse to marry."

Rei and Hiro stared at her quietly, knowing that it would take much more persuading to get her to go through with an arranged marriage. She had not known that Uchiha Fugaku, was the mastermind behind the marriage, as he found it necessary to strengthen the bonds between the two strongest clans in the village. They averted their gazes to meet each other's eyes, and they grit their teeth. They had promised him an arranged marriage. It was their duty as his servants.

"You _are._"

Sakura glared at them, her eyes gaining intensity as the seconds passed.

"I do not do arranged marriages. I am a young woman, and I reserve the right to marry who I wish. As I said before, this man in the Hyuuga clan may have disrespected me. I refuse to have a disrespectful husband whom I don't even love."

Her 'mother' stepped forward and took hold of her shoulders, their faces so close that electricity clashed out from both their eyes.

"What if you know this Hyuuga? What if he was a man who would not _dare _disrespect you?"

Sakura's interest was heightened, her eyes showing amusement as her mother began to unknowingly spill the secrets.

"Rei, stop it! You're going to..."

Her father was stopped by her mother's intense eyes, and her mother continued to stare into emerald.

"_What if he was Hyuuga Ne-" _Her speech was stopped when a harsh voice interrupted her.

"_What is going on here?"_

Sakura gasped and turned around to find Uchiha Sasuke, the heir to the Uchiha clan, standing before her, his usual harsh eyes seeming to bear more fire within them.

"Uchiha-sama had arranged a marriage for Sakura-chan...and it was arranged that she meet her husband-to-be today..." Rei whispered, her eyes not daring to stare into the heir.

Sasuke's eyes flashed a blood red, and he stomped off to his parents' complex, angered by what he had heard. Sakura could only watch, scared about what was going to happen in her near future. But her thoughts were interrupted by the unfaithful maids who only worked for the Uchiha's to get closer to their son.

"Look what you're going to do. You're going to break up the clan, Forehead-girl!" One yelled.

Another joined in.

"You're the ugliest thing! I don't know why Sasuke-sama would care! You should be happy you're marrying a Hyuuga! At least keep your dignity as a woman!"

She glared at them once more, her fists threatening to land onto their ugly faces. A twisted smile was playing on her lips, and her deathly aura was enough to make them shut their mouths.

"I have the dignity to remain a virgin, my virginity a present to my husband. You maids are pathetic excuses, sleeping with every Uchiha left and right, only to hope to make your way to Sasuke-kun. But I am sorry to break it to you, but Sasuke-kun is a smarter man than you think he is. You may be infatuated with him, but he can see through your ugly masks. All you want is money and to bear his handsome child," She spat.

The maids stared at her angrily, unable to bring themselves to say anything more. Because it was as she had said; her words were true and menacing. It was true...the truth hurts. Sakura smiled in victory, and made her way to follow Sasuke.

* * *

"Father, what is the meaning of this?!" Sasuke yelled, barging into his parents' complex.

He was stopped, however, by the flashing red of the Sharingan present on his father's face, and he turned to his mother, who had an unusual solemn look on her face. Her eyes were downcast, and she could only look at him sympathetically. His eyes silently asked his mother for answers, but she shook her head and offered a sympathetic smile.

"You're going to marry."

His heart stopped on the inside, but he was able to maintain his stoic expression. He questioned his father, anger and confusion ready to be released on his parents.

"In these times of Konoha, we must strengthen our clan's power to help ourselves in the long run, and to help our village. It was arranged that you marry the daughter of one of my old colleagues."

His eyes were no longer able to remain obsidian, and the three tomoe of his Sharingan were twirling dangerously fast.

"I won't."

He stood his ground. His father slammed his fists on the desk before him, threatening to crack the valuable mahogany into pieces.

"You _will. _You will make me _proud_. You will _not _dishonor this clan."

He was unable to spit back a retort, because someone stepping into the room interrupted the meeting. Sasuke slowly turned around and greeted her with a rare smile, but she was unable to return it. The look on her masters' faces was scaring her. What was going on?

"Uchiha-sama? Mikoto-san? What is...?"

Fugaku let a twisted smile loose on his lips, and his eyes showed a twisted type of pleasure. Sakura began to back away, but his menacing baritone stopped her, frozen in fear.

"_Sasuke is getting married." _

She fell to the floor, her mind numb. What was happening to her? What was this feeling of..._pain?_

"_Since that bastard son of mine, Itachi, isn't here anymore, Sasuke needs to get ready for being clan leader." _

Tears began to rush down from her eyes, and all Sasuke could do was offer his presence in the room. Mikoto looked on, her heart telling her to get up from beside her husband and rush to the girl she had raised. But she sat still, her heart being torn to pieces by the distraught angel's guise.

"_And he did it all behind your back. He loves this woman...He loves Satou Ami." _

Sakura's fists slammed on the floor in pain. _Ami? _That woman that made her life hell? She slowly got up, her heart seeming to lose more and more blood by the seconds.

"..._Oh._" Was all she was able to say.

She ran out the door, out of the complex, out of the Uchiha clan's territory before Sasuke or Mikoto could say anything to stop her. She knew Sasuke was hot on her trail, but she soon hid her chakra and lost him.

* * *

_And she was gone like the leaves in the winter time._

* * *

Sasuke returned to his parents' complex, his figure and guise broken. Why had his father done that to him? Why? Before he entered the room, he heard his parents fighting.

"_How dare you do that to Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan! How dare you, Fugaku!" _

His eyes widened. It was not everyday that his mother's kindly voice was raised in anger. Uchiha Mikoto was a woman of gentility and kindness.

"_I did what was right! I could not have my son in an affair with a maid! I will not allow it!" _

At this he burst into their room, fists tightly clenched, his harsh obsidian eyes drained of any love and kindness he had felt for his father.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Because Sakura's gone..." His voice began to trail off, and he could feel his mother's sympathy.

But even the love of his mother couldn't stop his heart from hurting, or loneliness enshrouding his body.

"..._And there's nothing I can do." _

His father stared wide-eyed at his son's disobedience, while his mother stared at him sympathetically. She gracefully stood from her husband's side, and stood beside her son instead, offering him a motherly embrace. And as she felt the salty liquid forever stain her dress, she glared at her husband, as to tell him that their son was gone, and it was all his fault.**  
**

* * *

Sakura once again sat alone, her heart broken, her tears gently falling upon the soft earth. It was where she had shared so many memories with her one and only love, Uchiha Sasuke. But now it only held bitterness. 

_Lies._

_Lies._

She bit her tongue bitterly. All that he had told her were lies. He didn't love her.

_What happened to being your angel, Sasuke? Why? Why didn't you keep your promise to me?_

She didn't want to believe, but she did. She didn't know why, but for once, _once, _she was listening to her mind instead of her heart. She managed to laugh, leaving the air with a heavy weight.

_What heart? Oh yeah...the one Sasuke stole. _

"Now, what did we tell you about crying?"

Her eyes widened when she felt a shadow loom over her. Those piercing Sharingan eyes that she had forgotten so long ago were gently staring into her own, and she let a loose smile play on her lips.

"Itachi-kun?"

A harsh laugh rang through the spring air, and she herself laughed along with one of her past masters. A hand was offered to her, and she gladly took it.

"_Where have you been, all this time, Itachi-kun?" _She asked.

He remained silent, as the girl he once knew stood grown beside him, her hand nerve letting go of his. He turned to her and smiled.

"_Come with me, Sakura-chan. You can run away." _

Sakura's eyes widened, and she slowly turned to where the Uchiha territory stood. She began to think of Sasuke, her one love, but she quickly shook that feeling away and stared into the blood red eyes of the man he so dearly loathed.

"_Anything, Itachi-kun." _

She smiled at him, and he turned around, waiting for her to follow. Her heart was screaming bloody murder for her to stop, but she shook that feeling away once more.

_All Sasuke told me...were lies..._

She took one step, her heart once again screaming.

_I'm not his angel..._

Another step.

_And the distraught angel was torn between heaven and hell. _

_...Which path would she follow?_

_The path of her heart?_

_...Or the path of her mind?_

_The path true love?_

_...Or the twisted way into a devil's heart?_

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you for reading. Please R & R 


	2. Chapter 1: Nightmare

**Angel's Path**  
_Written by dryingtears_

**Chapter 1** – Nightmare

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_Drip._

_Drop._

Sakura sat beneath one of the forest trees, not at all caring that she was getting soaked wet from the rain reaching her body. It had been a few months ever since her departure with Itachi, and it had taken the two a while to get used to each other. Since Sakura was a top-ranking Jounin who was ready to make it into ANBU and trained under the Sannin Tsunade (she is sixteen right now), it only took little persuasion from the mystery man behind Akatsuki to let her stay with Itachi.

"_You will get sick. What are you going out here? If you were to suddenly return to Konoha sick and looking like that, foolish mother would be angry."_

She turned to find the body of Uchiha Itachi standing in front of her, and let off a loose smile on her lips, still not moving from her place on the forest floor. It wasn't that she was disobeying one of her previous masters for the heck of it; she had a bad habit of pondering of her past in the rain. Itachi seemed to remember this, and he turned and began to walk back to headquarters.

"_I forgot you have that weird habit of pondering in the rain. Be back by sunset. It is Deidara's turn to cook. It has been a while since we have all had a meeting."_

Sakura smiled and nodded, her eyes closing, her mind wandering back to where she had lost her heart.

* * *

_How are you now, Sasuke?

* * *

_Sasuke stood in front of Tsunade's desk, his tired body having trouble enduring the simplest task: standing straight. The Hokage had offered him a seat, but his pride had gotten in the way, and he simply chose to stand. The Hokage shrugged it off, and her deep chestnut orbs began to look at his tired body. His clothes were tattered and worn; he had been gone for the last month trying to search for her missing apprentice. 

"So she was nowhere to be found?"

It seemed that was all she asked of him these days. If he had found _her. _If there was anything that could help lead him to _her. _But the answer was always the same.

"She's gone Tsunade-sama. She'll return if she pleases."

He could feel the deadly gaze of her chestnut orbs upon him, and he bravely met his obsidian orbs with her own. His face was harsh and menacing, irritation and hopelessness present in every cell in his body, on every inch of skin on his bones.

"Why did she leave? Do you know?"

It was the first time she popped the question, and he had hoped it certainly would be her last. It pained him to know that it was partly his fault that she was gone. He had not pursued her; he had given up.

Uchiha Sasuke...had _given _up? He sensed her beginning to ask again, but he quickly silenced her with his own voice.

"A chain of marriages stopped it all. Blame that bastard of a father."

Tsunade's eyebrow rose in interest, and Sasuke desperately wanted to get out of that room and return home. He did not want to tell the story; he did not want to be interrogated like a criminal. He just wanted to go home and lie on his mattress, close his tired eyes, and dream of the angel that had left him astray.

"My father lied to her. He told her that I loved someone else."

Tsunade nodded silently, the rest of the story evident without being spoken with words. She dismissed him sympathetically and watched him disappear from her office. When she was sure that there would be no more "interruptions", she broke down crying.

The brightest apprentice she had ever known was gone.

The kind Sakura that she had trained would not return. At least not for a while.

* * *

His mother greeted Sasuke at the door when he had returned. She held his arms open for him in an embrace, and he gladly went into it. The last few months without Sakura had changed both Uchiha Mikoto and her youngest son; they had grown closer to each other and had seemed to lose a part of their personality. They were the closest to Sakura than even Rei and Hiro. It seemed that Sasuke had become a vulnerable child; his only support in the world his mother's embrace. But Mikoto gladly gave that to him. 

"Welcome home, Sasuke. Was your mission a success?"

Sasuke ended the embrace and shook his head, the truth numbing his body and soul. He was just a specimen of the gods above him. He was merely a puppet without its puppeteer. When Sakura had gone, his whole life had seemed to retreat into the darkness, and loneliness enshrouded his body. Mikoto stared at her son sympathetically; it pained her so to know that her son had lost all sense of happiness and love within him when Sakura had left them. After Sakura had left, she forced her husband to cancel all arranged marriages, and Sasuke was free to marry whomever he pleased; Mikoto knew too well that if he had married Satou Ami as planned a few months ago, Ami would end up a dead woman in trying to get her husband to show love.

"Sasuke-sama! Sasuke-sama! You're back!"

Mikoto was disrespectfully shoved to the side by one of her unfaithful maids. The maid then tackled the fatigued Uchiha heir, infatuated ecstasy evident on her fake face. Sasuke shoved the maid away, his Sharingan flashing the blood red.

"You dare shove away my mother?"

The maid looked on in fear, and fell to the floor, her head and body bowed in the deepest respect and apology. Mikoto's kind eyes stopped Sasuke from torturing and killing the poor maid, and she stepped between her son and the bowed figure on the floor.

"It is fine, Sasuke. I will take care of her."

Sasuke nodded blankly, and gave his mother one last look before disappearing to his room.

"You are sentenced to gardening outside of our home. If you dare step one foot into this complex again, you are to be dealt with by Fugaku, and he will not take it lightly when I tell him that you shoved me away and held no apology until death was at your head. Please give up on Sasuke. He is not interested in infatuated, young, fake women. Goodbye."

Mikoto gave the maid a sympathetic look, and she herself disappeared into the room. The maid was left staring at the floor, her long purple hair flowing down her face. She only had thoughts of revenge as she got up and hurriedly rushed out of the complex.**  
**

* * *

Two pairs of obsidian eyes impatiently glared each other down, each brought to intimidating power by an unseen fire. The father stared down the son as the son disobediently stared down his father. It seemed that after his father had his own twisted pleasure in making Sakura disappear, there was an increased tension between the two, and an indescribable feeling of hate. 

"Sasuke. You did not tell me you returned from your mission," the menacing voice began.

Sasuke stared at his father indifferently and shrugged, his obsidian eyes breaking the intense gaze and wandering around the familiar room.

"Mother had met me at the door. If you were paying more attention, I wouldn't be in this room with you right now, father."

Fugaku was angered by his tone of voice and disrespect for him, but quickly simmered it down as his wife entered the room and gracefully took a seat next to him.

"I had forgotten to tell your father that you were scheduled to return, Sasuke. It is my fault, Fugaku. Please let Sasuke rest. He has been gone for a month, and he is tired and weary."

Fugaku angrily averted his gaze to his wife, and his anger had simmered away when he sensed the look of desperate sympathy present in her kind eyes. He waved his son away, and his son left the room quietly with no argument.

"What is the meaning of this, Mikoto?" He asked in a hushed whisper, knowing that maids were everywhere.

Mikoto seemed to not care that maids could be eavesdropping from their wooden doors, and her eyes were hooked on the sunset occurring outside of her bedroom window. A blank gaze was present on her face, and her lips moved with no emotion.

"Sasuke needs his rest. I think you have done him enough damage."

Her kind obsidian eyes stared into his own, and she forced a smile to grace her pale lips.

"You have done enough for him, Fugaku. He is old enough. Let him be. He cannot bear anymore pain coming from you."

Fugaku was struck speechless; he had not known his wife to contradict the person she loved with all her heart. But he forced himself to not let a word escape his mouth. It had seemed that the consequences of his twisted actions were coming around to him.**  
**

* * *

Sasuke lay down on his mattress after getting out of a long shower and changing into his sleeping clothes. His obsidian eyes were closed in a light slumber.

* * *

Uchiha-kun!" 

Sasuke stood still on the tree branch, the familiarity of the voice causing him to freeze with temporary fear. Who _was _it? It seemed the presence was so familiar and brought so much warmth to his heart, but it brought him loneliness and anguish. He chose to sit still on the branch, hoping that the sweet and sour presence would go away.

"Uchiha-kun! I know you're up there! Please come down!"

His eyes widened in wonder and curiosity, and presently took a look down. He saw a beautiful angel below him, her pink tresses twirling in the wind. Her emerald eyes stared at him gently, urging him to come down and see her.

"Angel? Why are you calling me Uchiha instead of Sasuke?" He called.

He jumped down from his place on the tree, and he was met with the face of the woman he had so dearly loved. She was the same as last time, except her features were more toned and had grown into more maturity. Her emerald eyes stared lovingly into his own, and her delicate hands held his.

"It's been so long, Uchiha-kun."

Sasuke was dumbfounded. She was right there, _right there! _Why couldn't he _do _anything? What was _wrong_? Because something was definitely not _right_.

"Uchiha-kun, I've missed you so much!"

Her voice was so sweet. It was music to his ears. It was his cure to loneliness. Her voice. Her smile.

"I love you!"

His eyes widened in surprise, but his voice would still not come. She had then closed the space between them in a heavenly embrace.

"Oh...oh Itachi-kun..."

His heart broke into a million pieces, and his eyes were flared the blood red color. What was happening? What happened? What's going on?

"Itachi-kun, I love you so much!"

Her voice became a siren's screech. Her heaven-like guise was turning tattered and sinful. What had happened to her? She was not an angel of heaven; she was an angel of _hell_.

And now she was whispering the name of his brother, confessing her love to the man he so dearly _loathed _with every cell in his body?

She was in love with the man who had left him _alone _in the world, with only a caring mother to care about?

She was...in love with his..._brother?_**  
**

* * *

Sasuke woke up in a cold sweat, his eyes scanning his surroundings closely as his three tomoe twirled in alarm. His body was numb and cold, and he was surprised to find a small teardrop roll from his obsidian eyes. 

...Sakura was in love with..._Itachi_?

Surely, it was only a _dream_?

But still, he quickly stood and changed into his ANBU uniform. It was time to consult the Hokage about his dream. Perhaps it held the answers to the disappearance of his love. When he was fully changed and clothed, he got out a piece of paper and began to write a letter to his mother.

_Mother. I have been summoned by the Hokage. I will speak to you when I learn more._

_Love, Sasuke._

When he was satisfied, he went into his parents' room quietly, and placed it next to his mother's dresser. She would see it when she woke up. He turned around and looked at his mother peacefully in slumber. When she was sleeping, it seemed that all her troubles were washed away. He envied her. He walked up to her and gave her a small kiss on the forehead as a parting gift.

As if he was leaving for a very long time.

And he left with one thought on his mind...

"_Angel...where are you now...?"_**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading. Sorry for making Fugaku seem so evil. Please R&R (:  



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